Barberry plant named ‘Koren’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Barberry  plant named ‘Koren’, characterized by its compact and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; leaves that are yellow to yellow green in color; good garden performance and resistance to sun scald; and resistance to Black Stem Rust.

Botanical designation: Berberis thunbergii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KOREN’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Barberryplant, botanically known as Berberis thunbergii and hereinafter referredto by the name ‘Koren’.

The new Barberry plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new unique Barberry plants withattractive foliage, improved stress tolerance and resistance to BlackStem Rust (Puccinia graminis).

The new Barberry plant originated from an open-pollination in June, 2003of Barberry thunbergii ‘Golden Pygmy’, not patented, as the female, orseed parent and an unknown selection of Barberry thunbergii as the male,or pollen, parent. The new Barberry plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventor during the summer of 2006 as a single plant within theprogeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment inGrand Haven, Mich.

Asexual reproduction of the new Barberry plant by softwood cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since the summerof 2006 has shown that the unique features of this new Barberry plantare stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations ofasexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Barberry have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may varysomewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperatureand light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Koren’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Koren’ as a new and distinct Barberry plant:

-   -   1. Compact and mounding plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching habit.    -   4. Leaves that are yellow to yellow green in color.    -   5. Good garden performance and resistance to sun scald.    -   6. Resistance to Black Stem Rust.

Plants of the new Barberry can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, ‘Golden Pygmy’. Plants of the new Barberry differ from plants of‘Golden Pygmy’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Barberry are more compact than plants of        ‘Golden Pygmy’.    -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Barberry are narrower than leaves        of plants of ‘Golden Pygmy’.    -   3. Plants of the new Barberry are more resistant to sun scald        than plants of ‘Golden Pygmy’.

Plants of the new Barberry can be compared to plants of the Berberisthunbergii ‘Talago’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,602. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Grand Haven, Mich., plants of thenew Barberry differed from plants of ‘Talago’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Barberry were not as compact as plants of        ‘Talago’.    -   2. Plants of the new Barberry were more vigorous than plants of        ‘Talago’.    -   3. Leaves of plants of the new Barberry were narrower than and        not as rounded as leaves of plants of ‘Talago’.

Plants of the new Barberry can also be compared to plants of theBerberis thunbergii ‘Aurea Nana’, not patented. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Grand Haven, Mich., plants of the new Barberrydiffered from plants of ‘Aurea Nana’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Barberry were more compact than plants of        ‘Aurea Nana’.    -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Barberry were narrower than and        not as rounded as leaves of plants of ‘Aurea Nana’.    -   3. Plants of the new Barberry were more resistant to sun scald        than plants of ‘Aurea Nana’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Barberry plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Barberry plant. The photograph is a side perspective view of atypical plant of ‘Koren’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the spring and summer in anoutdoor nursery in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural practices whichclosely approximate commercial production. Plants used for thephotograph were 2.5 years old and plants used for the description werefive years old. In the following detailed description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Berberis thunbergii ‘Koren’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Barberry thunbergii ‘Golden Pygmy’,            not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Barberry            thunbergii, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By softwood cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 70 days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About one year            at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine to medium; somewhat fleshy and            fibrous; yellow in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial shrub; compact and            mounding plant habit; moderate growth rate and vigorous            growth habit; freely branching habit with about 26 lateral            branches developing per plant.        -   Plant height.—About 40 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 56 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 10 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 1 cm.        -   Aspect.—Erect to about 90° from vertical to arching.        -   Strength.—Strong, flexible.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color, developing.—Close to 6C tinged with close to 46A;            amount of reddish coloration will depend on environmental            conditions.        -   Color, fully developed.—Close to 201D.        -   Thorns.—Quantity: About one thorn develops at each node.            Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Color: Close to 8A;            at the apex, close to 175A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate or whorled; simple.        -   Length.—About 2 cm.        -   Width.—About 1 cm.        -   Shape.—Oblanceolate to obovate.        -   Apex.—Mucronate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 150A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 145B. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Depending on light level,            close to 12A or 154A; venation, close to 145A; plants            maintain yellow to yellow green coloration during the            autumn. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 13C;            venation, close to 145A.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and            lower surfaces: Close to 12A or 154A.-   Flower description: Flower initiation and development has not been    observed on plants of the new Barberry.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Barberry have been observed to    have excellent garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about −30° C. to about 32° C. In addition,    plants of the new Barberry are resistant to sun scald.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Barberry have been    observed to be resistant to Black Stem Rust (Puccinia graminis).    Plants of the new Barberry have not been shown to be resistant to    pests and other pathogens common to Barberry plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Barberry plant named ‘Koren’ asillustrated and described.